BIG thanks to all who came along on Friday night to my Palace Drum Clinic in Redditch. It was a great night and we had a room full of eager drummers all up for a full on evening of drumming!! Thanks go to Matthew Green for organising the event and also for playing a great first set. The ace Craig Fenney from Cympad International was there promoting their great products and Mr. Phillip Beazer was on hand helping with the drum set up, and providing awesome company throughout the day. I look forward to returning to the Palace Drum Club again at some point, it’s a great vibe and provides drummers with a valuable learning experience. I hope to return there again at some point and I look forward to it!

I’m very happy to say that I am now a fully fledged endorser of Cympad products. This company have taken the basic cymbal dampener and taken it to a whole new level, with various sizes for crashes and rides that really control and aid the sound of my cymbals in a ‘live’ & studio environment.

I am using:

* Cympad Chromatics pack White 40/15mm

*Cympad Moderator Set/pack 90x15mm

*Cympad Optimizer – Starter Pack

They are really helping my cymbals in the recording studio, the moderator’s on my ride cymbal are really centring the sound nicely. That along with the Bopworks sticks I use means I am really getting that Tony Williams style sound when I need it. On the crashes they are really controlling the sound and I’m experimenting between the Chromatics and the Optimizers, and I am only just scratching the surface of all the possibilities that they can offer!

A great product and something that all drummers should check out if they are serious about their sound.

I am interested in hearing from you if you would like a lesson, write to me at: robert.brian70@gmail.com

I teach from NAM Studios which has had the likes of Royal Blood, Siouxsie Sioux, Van Morrison, The Magic Numbers, KT Tunstall, The Mission, Robert Plant, Charlie Jones, Innes Sibun rehearsing or recording there.

The album was recorded at J&J Studio in Bristol with the ever amazing Jim Barr at the helm. Gary is a good friend and an amazing writer and keyboard player, we have been friends for many years and this new CD is definitely the best thing we have ever recorded together. The trio became complete when the brilliant Al Swainger joined us playing bass about a year and a half ago, and what a superb bass player he is. Together we recorded this album over 3 days and then returned to master it a few months later, it has taken quite awhile to get the finished product out there but we are proud to say its ready for the world to hear!

I am particularly proud of my playing on this album, I feel the material has allowed me to play the style and vibe that is really ME, if that makes sense. If you fancy hearing that, then please go to the website and check it out.

Here are a few pics from the recordings, I changed many snares, cymbals and effects and so on to get the perfect drum sound and vibe for each track. Getting inside the music like that brings your performance alive and gives the music the respect it deserves.

It’s been a real pleasure working with some very close musical friends to record this great new song by Sam Eason & Simon Allen.
I’m proud of Helen Brian who has worked very hard with the charities & musicians to bring this project together and I feel that together we have all made something rather magical.
Being a drummer and performer for the last 38 years I have had issues at times with anxiety and performance related stress, and to be able to be involved in something that brings awareness to that is personally very important to me. It’s crucial for anyone suffering with mental health issues to know that they have a support system should they need it, and these charities are working constantly to be there for them. So please buy the song and indeed the whole EP, you’ll not be disappointed and you’ll be doing a great thing for the charities at the same time! ❤️ XxxxX

'More Than That' – the Music In Mind 2017 Charity single, downloadable soon from https://musicinmind.bandcamp.com/releasesCheck out our 'behind the scenes' teaser video put together by the amazing James Taylor…. and don't forget Sam Eason & Littlemen – Music In Mind 2017 – THE big gig, tickets available NOW from http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3064448

http://www.robertbrian.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/21316288_892763840877325_1506665905795863345_o.jpg13621362robb/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/robert_brian_logo.jpgrobb2017-10-06 04:19:142017-10-06 04:21:47'More Than That' the new charity EP!

Well, I am very happy to say that we have completed the filming for this new teaching adventure!

It took us 4 days to complete and all the crew involved were excellent and made the experience a real pleasure. My nephew James Taylor who filmed it and Pete Hewington & Jon Buckett who captured the audio were all absolute legends. We have many hours of drumming and comedy outtakes to edit through, but I am sure it’ll be a giggle working through it all…..If only for me! Lol

To let you know about distribution and so on, I have been in contact with Don Lombardi at the Drum Channel at DW Drums in America, and they are interested to see what I have covered in the lessons. So, its possible that I may sort something out with them, or it may just be available through my website as separate chapter downloads. Either way it’ll be available before Christmas and I cannot wait for you guys to check it out!

Well, I’m glad to inform you all that filming has finally started on ‘Technique & Musicality’ volume 2′

I am lucky to have James Taylor looking after the filming and the use of Earthworm/Amber Studios with Pete Hewington and Jon Buckett at the audio controls. This volume has all new patterns and ideas that I have found useful in my ‘live’ and session drumming over the past 7 years since volume 1 was released. I am not sure how it will be distributed as yet but I am in discussion with various parties about it, so watch this space!

Some of the ideas that I am covering are: All new snare and bass drum warm ups, Orchestrating Jazz Phrases, Improving your Grooves and Being ultra creative on the drum kit.

I am delighted to say that work will start shortly on my next drum DVD ‘Technique & Musicality 2’

Volume 1 was released in 2010 and was very well received getting 3 or 4 out of 5 star reviews in publications like Modern Drummer, Rhythm Magazine and Drummer. I originally wanted other volumes to follow a lot quicker but it didn’t quite work out that way, but now seemed a good time to continue, so work begins!

I will post little teaser clips here & there as we go along and I’m really looking forward to getting these drumming ideas documented and out there for others to check out. My approach to drumming and drum education has certainly moved on since volume 1 and my experiences performing drum clinics and masterclasses has taught me a lot over the recent years. More importantly I’ve found through my playing experiences in the studio and ‘live’ over the past 7 years that I’ve learnt so much that has guided me to really see what is and what is not so important when it comes to having a successful professional drumming career.

So, I am looking forward to sharing my new concepts & exercises with drummers everywhere and I am sure there will be masterclass dates to follow as well.

If you are interested in getting a copy then please let me know and I will add your name to an early bird email list that will be sent out before the DVD is readily available.

I am chuffed that the new Goldfrapp album ‘Silver Eye’ made it to number 5 in the UK album charts.

It was such a joy to take part in the sessions and it’s been great watching their fans reaction to the record which I think is a superb collection of songs. The tour to promote the album is taking the band all over the world where they are playing their own shows as well as select festival dates.

The track I played on is ‘Everything is never Enough’ –

I love the mix of electronic programmed drums and my ‘live’ DW kit which was recorded very dry. I had no cymbals at all on the drum kit and the part I played had a very tribal feel to it, with the rolling floor toms and constant steady backbeats on the snare drum. I even managed to get my favourite Kraut rock drum fill into the track which occurs at 3:28!